2013: A year of "could do better" in majors for most UK stars

Jason Dufner's clinical victory in the PGA Championship completed a year that spawned three new major champions and left several others wondering if they will ever secure victory in the tournaments that matter most.

Dufner joins Justin Rose
(US Open)
and Adam Scott
(Masters)
in claiming an elevated status within the game. And the 36-year-old American thoroughly
earned his triumph
with an unflappable closing 68.

Current UK players in majors

Rory McIlroy:
Won 2011 US Open & 2012 US PGA

Graeme McDowell:
Won 2010 US Open

Justin Rose:
Won 2013 US Open

Lee Westwood:
Best finish second at 2010 Masters & 2010 Open

Luke Donald:
Best finish tied third at 2005 Masters and 2006 US PGA

Ian Poulter:
Best finish second at 2008 Open

It was the second successive American victory in the majors following Phil Mickelson's
stunning win in the Open
at Muirfield. Of the leading lights from the United Kingdom, only Rose can reflect on 2013 with genuine satisfaction.

The report cards for our other leading lights are of the nature that you wouldn't want to show to mother. They could all be stamped "could do better".

So if he was ever going to rediscover his touch it was always most likely to come at a PGA. The indications are that he has at last turned the corner in a dispiriting year.

At the Masters, McIlroy laboured to a share of 25th place and was 41st at the US Open. Then he admitted to "brain dead" tendencies in missing the cut at Muirfield.

He deserves credit for fighting hard in the second round to avoid a damaging missed cut at Oak Hill. From there on he carded a slightly streaky 67 and a closing 70 to finish in a share of eighth place.

It was a decent return, but by his standards McIlroy can only accept a "D plus" for his major performances this year.

Rose didn't make the top-24 outside his US Open win and didn't make the weekend at the Open. But for his deeds at Merion the 33-year-old Englishman has to be given an "A" with the prospect of more huge victories to come.

Lee Westwood had another bad finish at the US PGA and was 33rd, eighth at the Masters, joint 15th at US Open and joint third at The Open

Despite his closing 66 at Oak Hill this has proved a year to forget in the majors for the man who has three tour wins in 2013. He suffered missed cuts at Augusta and Merion, was only 58th at Muirfield and 12th in the PGA. It's a "C minus" at best.

Luke Donald did put himself in position at the US Open but couldn't follow it through. Marking Rose's card was as close as he got to touching the kind of title he so craves.

Donald never recovered from the errant two irons that closed his third round at Merion, especially the double bogey sixth on the 54th hole that ruined a potentially brilliant Saturday in Philadelphia.

Missed cuts duly followed at Muirfield and Oak Hill and he only managed a share of 25th at the Masters. Donald receives a flat "C grade" with his US Open challenge the only saving grace.

And what should we make of Lee Westwood? His major quest has been discussed at length and mounting an unlikely final round challenge from six strokes back at the PGA was beyond him once he double-bogeyed the third.

He finished 33rd, following a share of eighth at Augusta, 15th in the US Open and third at Muirfield. The 40-year-old puts himself in the frame time and again and beats more than he loses to in every major he plays.

Westwood gets a creditable "B plus" but that is of scant consolation because we all know what he really wants and another year has passed without that ambition having been fulfilled.

The UK's other member of the world's top 20, Ian Poulter, will feel equal levels of frustration. His Ryder Cup heroics at Medinah last year failed to turn into the springboard to major success.

At the Open, Poulter charged to a share of third but was never genuinely in contention. He finished just outside the top 20 at the US Open, 61st at Oak Hill and didn't make it to the weekend at Augusta.

This year the flamboyant Englishman gets only a "C plus" for his achievements in the tournaments that define careers.

There is still much to play for in 2013, especially with the Ryder Cup qualifying period about to start.

But it is an awfully long time until April and next year's Masters. It will certainly seem that way for those currently trying to hide their less than flattering report cards.

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Comments

@ 187Agree the presence of a couple of top ranked players gives Royal Portrush an edge. Not sure having hosted before is relevant as it is a very different tournament from 1951. I think in due course Portrush will get it (may be a fair wait), not sure about Porthcawl though the Welsh Assembly may throw some money at it to help.

Did anyone else even notice? Maybe like the American mantra (A.K.A "The Tiger Show"), people have become oblvious to the ACTUAL quality of the coverage, as long as it's got enough bells and whistles going. Either way, the coverage was very bad relative to other years. Was it some kind of a subcontract or something? Did someone sell out?

Can anyone explain why the coverage of The Open was so bad this year? It's always stood out Vs the American coverage, in that they'd show all players, not just the leaders. This year, it was a handful of players shown constantly, most of the time wasted watching the leaders doing nothing, warming up etc. What happened to the best coverage in golf? As a life long fan, I was quite disappointed.

Royal Porthcawl is going to try and get the Open in the early to mid 2020's, the Senior Open being the first step next year. Whether they succeed is questionable, serious infrastructure, access and space issues.

The Open has never been held in Wales and possibly never will, so why would they hold The Open in ROI? The only reason it's considered to be held at Royal Portrush is because it's been held there before and NI golf stars want to see it happen. Also NI is part of the UK so it would still be seen as the 'British Open' to other fans from around the world. The Open will never be held in ROI.

take your bitter views somewhere else instead of trying to bring nationality and religion into it, it's because of people like you Rory doesn't know what nation to represent for the Olympics because he doesn't want to upset people. Golfers from NI should get full support no matter who they represent or what nationality they are.

Good point made that the forum always ends up talking about Woods & Nicklaus whatever Iain Carter tees up. Suffice to say, all the golfers mentioned in his article currently merit the epithet "very good" but of those currently playing the circuit, IMHO only Woods, Mickleson & maybe Els can be rated all time "great" just now. PS. major placings- any1 know if Westy or Woods best over last 10 years?

IMHO, Donald's problem is GIR. Because he lacks distance with woods and irons, he has to use longer clubs. In majors, the rough is normally more demanding and therefore penalizes errant shots more. He seems to hit everything with a fade which is also a limiting factor. I'm not sure what holds Westwood back. Under pressure, his chipping and putting seem suffers, rather like the rest of us actually.

What you've got to remember is that he's probably got at least another 9/10 years to play at a competitive level. Would you bet against him picking up 1 major every other year - I wouldn't. We've steadily seen him get the consistency back over the last two years. He's changed his swing, coach and caddie - and won 8 times since. I'm expectant for next year.

The Masters was definitely the one that got away. And you're quite correct - he's said as much himself - that getting to 15 is like he's trying to win his 1st major.Once he finds this elusive one, I think more will follow. Like I said, next years venues are kind, St Andrews too in 2015.

The point is exactly what Westwood said,I HAVE EARNED TWO MILLION POUNDS THIS YEAR SO GET OFF MY BACK.The reason that Westwood may never win a major is greed, he enters 52 tournements a year as does l Donald.Woods, who is much more clever, enters less than 40, and plays better in those 35 or so, and gets much more sponsorship money.WESTWOOD AND DONALD WANT MONEY NOT MAJORS.

The Open is the championship of the R&A, which is the governing body for golf in Britain and Ireland. Therefore, why not hold the championship anywhere on the island, there's no border for golf between North and South.

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